BOSTON, May 31 (UPI) -- Spanish radio broadcaster J.P. Villaman died in a weekend traffic accident along I-93 as he drove home to Lawrence, Mass., the Boston Herald reported Tuesday.
One of the first Spanish-speaking radio announcers in Major League Basball, the 46-year-old announcer on the Spanish Beisbol Network died when his SUV struck a truck while he was changing lanes and then went down an embankment, striking a tree.
He and co-anchor Uri Berenguer had just flown back to Boston from the Red Sox' 7-2 win over the Yankees in the Bronx.
A Dominican Republic native, Villaman had announced Red Sox games for New England stations since 1995. Spanish speakers worldwide also picked up his voiceovers on the New England Sports Network's satellite TV broadcasts.
Villaman began his career at age 13, calling games for the Aguila Cibaena team in the Dominican Republic on Radio Meringue. The Spanish broadcast took off in 1998 when former Red Sox ace and fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez joined the team.
"It's a shame, man. He was a wonderful guy, a really good dude. He brought a lot of happiness to all of us,'' said Sox slugger and fellow Dominican David Ortiz.
